Journal stop



L. B. GEORGE JOURNAL STOP April 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

7 w. w aw Filed March 28, 1960 L. B. GEORGE April 3, 1962 JOURNAL STOP 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 28, 1960 1 9 m Z 4 N M .0 w m I v J h r 0 w im V/ T 5 B F 9 4 4 9 0 5\ 45W 4 mi] I1 I I 2 I u a 2 0 J m & W 9% W [1|7 r IF FIILI 9 a 0 4 Z 5 United States Patent 3,028,202 JOURNAL STOP LeoB. George, Montreal," Quebec, Canada, assignor to JournalBox'Ser'v'ic'ing Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind.

' Filed Mai-r28, 1960; Ser. No. 17,968

6 Claims. (Ci. 3(i8-3) The present invention relates to an improved stopdevice for preventing undue lateral displacement of a railway car axlejournal relative to its journal bearing when the journal and its'bearingare subjected to forces tending to displace them relative to each other.

It is well known that a railway car is subjected to severe impact force,for example, when it is crashed against another'car during the usualswitch yard operations, and that this impact force tends to raise thecar body relative to the truck and thereby cause the journal bearing tomove upwardly relative to the journal. It is also well known that thecar wheels after the sudden stopping of the car body continue theirmovement under the force of inertia and thereby tends to move the axlejournal laterally out of its normal central alignment with its bearing.This displacement of the journal and its bearing frequently permit loosestrands of the journal box packing material to be carried, by theimpactforce and by the rotation of the journal into the space'between thejournal and its bearing. Conditions of this character are highlyobjectionable, since theyci'eate friction and constitute a principalcause ofso-called hot-box--overheating of railway car journal bearings.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensivejournalstop of simple construction which may be positioned within ajournal box, of conventional construction, at opposite sides of thejournal so as to prevent objectionable lateral movement of the journalrelative to its bearing element when the journal and its bearing areaccidentally displaced vertically relative to each other. e

According to the invention, the stop element is made of wood or of oilresistant materials including neoprene or other plastomers havingsuitable rigidity to maintain its operative position and suitablecompressibility to prevent scoring or indenting the journal by contacttherewith. Each stop element is so formed that it extends axially of thejournal and has interlocking engagement with a side wall portion of thejournal box in which the journal and its associated bearing assembly arehoused. The normal position of the stop within the journal box is suchas to resist upward displacement of the journal box packing during thepresence of impact forces tending to unseat the journal hearing from thejournal.

The invention is illustrated in certain preferred embodiments, in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a journal box andjournal bearing assembly and illustrating, in dotted lines, a journalstop constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1 toillustrate the positions of a pair of journal stop elements positionedin their normal environment within the journal box;

FIG.'3 is a top plan view of one of the journal stop elements;

FIG. 4 is a side view in elevation of the device shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a journal stop element, the viewbeing taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a journal box and bearingassembly similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1 but provided with adifierent formof journal box pack- FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view ofthe structure shown FIG. 10' is a cross-sectional view of the stopdevice shown in FIG. 9, the view beingtaken on line lit-+10 of FIG. 9and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 5, inclusive, of the drawings: A railwaycar journal box of a conventional construction is designated in itsentirety at 10. In the construction herein shown, the box is formedintegrally with portions 11 and 12 of a side frame of a car truck, butthis is not important insofar as the present invention is concerned. Ifdesired, the journal box may be made sepa rate from the truck side framein accordance with any one of the several known constructions now ingeneral use.

The inner end of the journal box lid is provided with an opening 13adapted to receive the journal 14 of a wheel axle 15. The outer end ofthe journal 1'4 is provided with a radial flange or collar 16 which,together with a radial shoulder 17, defines the outer and'inner limitsof the journal 14. The shoulder 17 constitutes a bearing surface for adust guard 18, the latter of which is movably fitted in the usual dustguard slot 19 of the box 10 and has bearing contact with the peripheralsurface of the shoulder 17 so as to prevent foreign matter from enteringthe journal box through the opening 18.

A journal bearing 20 comprising a metallic body having a lining 21 ofbabbitt or other suitable bearing metal is fitted on the top of thejournal 14 between the said collar 16 and the shoulder 17. The journalbearing 2%) is maintained in its operative position on the journal'l lbymeans of a wedge member 22 which is interposed between the body 2d ofthe journal bearing and the top 23 of the journal box. The journalbearing has capacity for slight axial movement relative to the journal,but this movement is limited by the collar 16 and shoulder 1'7. Thecombined lengthwise movements of the journal 14 and bearing 20 arelimited by a flange 24 on the top of the bearing body adapted to abutagainst the inboard end of the wedge 22. The outer end of the wedge 22has abutting engagement with a lug 25 depending from the top 23 of thejournal box.

The journal bearing Eli and its associated wedge 22 have capacity forvertical movement relative to the journal during the presence of forcestending to move the journal box Til upwardly relative to the journal.Forces of this character are present to some extent during the bouncingof the car wheels as they pass over rail joints and railway crossings,but they are more pronounced when a car is subjected to sudden startingor when the car is subjected to impact force as when it is caused tocrash into another car, as is customary practice in a railway switchyard. However, the said bearing 2t and wedge 22 are maintained in acentral position within the journal box by means of vertical slidingengagement of the wedge 22 against Vertical ribs 2627 formed on theforward and rear side walls of the journal box.

Lubricant is applied to the rotating journal by means of a body 28 ofintertwined strands of wool or cotton waste material impregnated withlubricant, the body 28 of material being positioned in the lower portionof the journal box so as to bear against the under portion of thejournal. It frequently happens that one or more strands of the wastematerial 28 finds entrance between the journal and the lining 21 of thebearing when the bearing is thrust upwardly relative to the journal bythe cipal causes of overheated journal bearings or so-called hot box.

In order to overcome the above mentioned objections incident to thevertical displacement of the bearing 29 relative to the journal 14 andthe consequent lateral movement of the journal away from the verticalcenter of the bearing, a pair of stop elements 29 are positioned betweenopposite sides of the journal 14 and the adjacent side walls 3% 31 ofthe journal box so that, during lateral displacement of the journalrelative to the journal box, the journalwill come into contact with astop element 29 before its lateral movement becomes excessive. The saidstops 29 comprise elongated elements of wood or other suitable materialhaving the rigidity and the compressibility of wood so that it will notscore or indent the highly polished surface of the journal 14 when thelatter moves out of its normally centralized position relative to thejournal bearing 29 and comes into contact with one or the other of thestops 29, in the manner hereinabove described. The said stops extendlengthwise of the journal 14 and are adapted to seat on flanges 32, 33which project inwardly from opposite side walls of the box ll? towardthe axle journal. The length of each stop is less than the length of thejournal. Consequently, the stops have capacity for axial movementrelative to the journal 14. The flat vertical side faces 34, 34 of thestops normally project into the annular space surrounding the journal14- between the collar 16 and the shoulder 17 whereby the opposite endsof the stops may be brought into abutting engagement with the saidcollar or shoulder, respectively, during relative axial movements of thejuornal and stops. Accordingly, the end portions 35, 36 of the stops arecurved to conform with the curvature 37, 38 of the fillets at the basesof the collar 16 and the shoulder 17. Accordingly, the stops willpresent an end surface of substantial area to the collar 16 and shoulder17 when an end of a stop is moved into abutting engagement therewith.

The .stop elements 29 are supported on the said flanges 32, 33 withcapacity for both lengthwise and vertical movements relative to the sidewalls 30, 31 of the journal box. Each stop element is provided with arecess 3h which embraces an associated vertical rib 26 or 27 of thejournal box 16 to provide an interlocking engagement therewith. Thelength of the recess 39 is somewhat greater than the width of theassociated vertical rib 26 or 27. Consequently, the stop may be movedlengthwise of the box when the end portion of the stop is engaged by thecollar 16 or shoulder 17 of the journal structure, but the end walls ofthe recess 39 serve as abutments for limiting this movement of the stopelement. The bottom surface 46 of the recess 39 conforms substantiallyto the configuration of the lower end portion of the rib 26 or 27embraced by the said recess. The bottom surface 40 of said recess isnormally spaced a slight distance downwardly from the lower end of thevertical rib 26-27 when the stop is seated on its associated flange 32or 33.

The seat portions 41 of the stop elements 2? correspond to theconfiguration of the top surface of the flange 32 or 33 on which thestop is supported. The stops 29 are also formed with depending portions42 which extend downwardly below the longitudinal inner edges of thestop supporting flanges 32, 33 so as to partially close the spaces 43,44 existing between the journal and the said longitudinal inner edges ofsaid flanges 32, 33 and thereby restrain upward displacement of the body28 of lubricant impregnated packing material relative to the journal boxand thereby remove the likelihood of one or more strands of the packingmaterial being carried upwardly between the journal 14 and the bearing20.

In the event of an upward thrust of the journal box, the packingmaterial 28 will engage the portion 42 of one or both of the stops 2d.Any ensuing upward movement of the stop relative to the flanges 32 or 33will press the bottom surfaces 4d of the recesses into cammingengagement with the lower end portions of the vertical rib 26, 27 andthereby move the stops inwardly toward the journal so as to furtherrestrict the spaces 43, 44- between the stops and the journal.

After the upward thrust on the various components of the journal and boxassembly has subsided, the journal,

19 hearing, and the journal stops will resume their normal positionsshown in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

The stop elements 29, as shown in FIG. 2, seat on the horizontal flanges32, 33 at opposite sides of the journal and project, as previouslydescribed, into the annular space surrounding the journal 14 between thecollar 16 and the shoulder 17. However, the stop members can be readilyinstalled in their operative positions within the journal box by merelyfollowing the conventional practice in connection with the insertion andremoval of the journal bearing 2t} and its associated wedge 22. Forexample, the journal box may be jacked up relative to the journal 14 andthe journal bearing 2% and wedge 22 removed. The stop elements 29, 29may be then insorted into the journal box above the journal andthereafter seated in their operative positions on the horizontal flanges32, 33. The journal bearing 26) and the wedge 22 may be then re-appliedin their operative positions and the journal box lowered sufliciently'topermit the journal bearing 2% to seat on the journal.

Referring now to the modified embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to 10,inclusive, of the drawing: The various elements of the journal asemblymay be, and preferably are, of the same construction shown in FIGS. 1and 2 with the execption that the inwardly projecting flanges 32, 33 ofFIG. 2 are omitted from the modified embodimerit and the journal stopelements and journal box packing are different from constructions ofFIGS. 1 to 5, inclusive. Therefore, for the sake of brevity ofdescription the journal box, axle journal, journal bearing and itsassociated wedge element are identified in the modified construction bythe same reference used in FIGS. 1 to 5, inclusive, but distinguished bythe addition of the letter (a),

The modified journal stops are designated 4-5 and are 45 arranged in thesame relative positions as the stops 29 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, but theyare preferably, though not necessarily, of shorter length. The said stopmembers 45 are recessed as indicated at 46 to embrace and therebyinterlock with the lower end portions of the ver- 59 tical ribs .26a27aof the journal box 10a in a manner similar to that shown in connectionwith FIGS. 1 and 2, but the said stop elements 45 are wholly supportedin their operative positions by the journal box packing 47. The saidpacking 47 is in the form of a lubricant applying pad of knownconstruction. It is saturated with lubricant and positioned in the lowerportion of the journal box lila so as to contact the bottom side of thejournal 14a. The longitudinal side edges of the lubricant applying pad47 are slit to receive a depending web 48 (30 formed on each of the stopmembers 45. The web 48 is provided with a series of apertures 4% forreceiving a means for attaching the stop elements to the lubricantapplying pad, whereby the stops 45, 45 and the lubricant pad 47 may beinserted into or removed from the jour- 5 nal box as a unitary assemblywithout disturbing the journal bearing 20a and wedge 22a. The saidsecuring means is preferably a cord 50 laced through portions of the pad47 and through the several apertures 49.

The stops 45, it will be observed, have capacity for 76 vertical andlengthwise movements relative to the journal and journal box, but thelongitudinal movement is limited by the length of the recesses 46embracing the lower end portions of the ribs 2611-2711 of the journalbox 19a. It will also be observed that the stop elements 45, being ofless length than the stop elements 29, will not normally come intoabutting engagement with the end collar 16a and the dust guard shoulder17a of the journal 14a. 1

The outer ends of the journal boxes 10, a may be closed by means of ahingedly supported lid of conventional construction such as shown inFIGS. 1 and'6.

I claim:

1. The combination with a railway car axle journal,

a journal box of conventional construction for housing said journal andhaving at least one integral rib on each side of the box having an edgeprojecting in wardly toward the journal,

a resilient lubricant carrying body carried in the box under and incontact with said journal, and

means comprising a bearing seated on the upper side of said journal;

a one piece, journal stop loosely positioned in said box 2. Thestructure of claim 1, in which said box ribs each has a lower endportion sloping from said rib edge downwardly and away from said journalmerging into said box wall;

said stop recess having a floor sloping upwardly and 6 away from theside of the stop side adjacent a box side; said floor sliding over saidrib lower end portion upon upward travel of the stop causing the stop toshift toward said journal.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which there is a substantiallyhorizontally disposed flange projecting toward and terminating short ofsaid journal from each of said box sides;

said stop in each instance resting on a flange by an underside portion;and

a downwardly directed stop portion extending between the flange and thejournal.

' 4. The structure of claim 2, in which there is a depending memberextending from and along the underside of said stop;

said depending member being over said body, the body abutting saidmember and lifting the stop thereby upon travel of said body upwardlythereagainst and inducing said stop shift toward the journal.

5. The structure of claim 1, in which there is means attaching said stopto said body.

6. The structure of claim 5, in which said body constitutes the solevertical support of said stops.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,941,486 Pilcher Ian. 2, 1934 2,684,878 Foss July 27, 1954 2,733,966Ryan Feb. 7, 1956 2,941,849 Sale June 21, 1960 2,957,733 Hare Oct. 25,1960

